Networking countdown to InteropNet 2011 New York: Connecting to the cloud
By Tim Swiader, Senior Program Manager, HP Technology Consulting
As I mentioned in last week’s blog, this week is all about show sponsor UBM’s data center in New Jersey, which is empowered by HP’s data center solutions.
I have been around the cloud computing concepts for a number of years. I have personally helped a large Fortune 100 company transform an element of their operations into a high availability, cloud-based operation. Why only an element? Sometimes things move a bit slower in these big companies (usually with foundation).
Compelling reasons for change?
How about the ability to leverage a service provider’s data center to reduce operational cost. Or achieving initiatives around protecting the environment with less power and environmental demands and survivability. HOWEVER, not everyone in the industry is on board with SaaS, PaaS or IaaS. (Insert your favorite cloud acronym here.). Some say it is the 1980s’ data center model—just remote. Others say it is distributed computing centralized. Another group says what is old is new again. I say it is all the above but flexed with improvements. How can I say that? Ha! I would be dating myself!!
UBM directive for InteropNet: cloud computing
Last year UBM required some of its services be highly available and secured. Beyond that, UBM went on to say they really needed to embrace cloud computing. The directive carried over into this year. UBM has three hosted, geographically diverse co-locations, or Colo for short. Depending on which show it is (Las Vegas or New York), the services provided by each Colo change.
The directive UBM brought forward plays perfectly into HP’s data center solutions. My team leveraged HP’s network and blade server products. Talking the talk…yea! Walking the walk…OH YEA!!
Some details on core networking products at play here
To be specific, we have the HP data center core networking products talking across a crazy, high-speed, private link (some small countries do not have this speed) to the HP data center router in the Colo.
This router determines if the packet’s destination is to the services in the Colo or elsewhere. If the packet stays within the Colo ,we send it via HP’s two-tier architecture to the blade servers. If the packet’s destination is outside the Colo, we hand it off to UBM’s service provider CenturyLink, that provides connectivity to the public Internet and the two other Colo spots). Conversely, packets arriving from CenturyLink are scrutinized by HP TippingPoint security products thus protecting the Colo.
Hope you have your running shoes on because we are not walking anymore. Highly available? Check! Secured? Double check!! And for the bonus round…manageable? HP’s Intelligent Management Center reporting for duty.
See for yourself at Interop New York
If you doubt any of this, come join me at Interop New York 2011. While I cannot physically show you the data center, there will be diagrams and UBM staff there to validate this design. And if you want to know the how, I will have my lead project architect available to answer your questions. Just stop by the HP booth and ask for me. The booth will be able to find me for you.
>> Learn more about HP Networking products and solutions for the Instant-On Enterprise.
